CAMBr will use the funds to work in the Palos Forest Preserve, home to nearly 50 miles of single- and doubletrack and Illinois' largest cross-country mountain bike race, the Palos Meltdown. The money and volunteer training will help construct an uphill trail linking the bottom of a downhill trail, known as "Gravity Cavity," to a trail known as "Out and Back," which is currently only reachable by riding gravel roads.

The project will allow CAMBr to expand the Palos Meltdown race course options to include more varied and challenging terrain. The new trail will also give CAMBr the ability to incorporate illegally-built trails into the legal system, while closing other illegal trails that currently threaten an environmentally sensitive area within the park. The visit from the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will be a focus of the project that will help engage volunteers, and help CAMBr open up significant mileage and options for the 2014 Palos Meltdown. CAMBr expects the new trail construction and existing trail maintenance to take 14 days.

The Trail Tune-up Grants are completely funded by USA Cycling members through an optional checkbox on USA Cycling license applications and renewal forms. The program is administered through a partnership between USA Cycling and IMBA. Projects that create or improve trails used for mountain bike racing will receive the highest consideration, but funding can also be used to improve trails for race training and recreational riding. Applicants must be current members of IMBA, as well as USA Cycling member clubs/race promoters.

The guidance on this website, and in other IMBA documents, is for reference only and should not be interpreted as a standard, specification or regulation. Mountain biking is inherently risky and could result in injury or death.